DOCSLIB.ORG

The Motif of Life and Death in the Elijah-Elisha Narratives and Its Theological Significance in 1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 13

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Motif of Life and Death in the Elijah-Elisha Narratives and Its Theological Significance in 1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 13 Scholars Crossing LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations 2008 The Motif of Life and Death in the Elijah-Elisha Narratives and its Theological Significance in 1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 13 Gary E. Yates Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lts_fac_pubs Recommended Citation Yates, Gary E., "The Motif of Life and Death in the Elijah-Elisha Narratives and its Theological Significance in 1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 13" (2008). LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations. 12. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lts_fac_pubs/12 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ETS, Providence: 2008 “The Motif of Life and Death in the Elijah-Elisha Narratives and its Theological Significance in 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 13” Gary E. Yates, Ph.D. Introduction Prior to Israel’s entry into the land of Canaan, Moses exhorts the people to choose “life” over 1 ETS, Providence: 2008 Prophets and Kings in a Life-And-Death Struggle At the dedication of the temple, Solomon had warned of the possibility of the covenant curses if Israel turned away from the Lord (cf. 1 Kgs 8:33-51), and this warning became a reality during the reign of Ahab’s family over Israel. As demonstrated in the chart below, the catastrophic events experienced by Israel as a result of their apostasy in the days of Elijah and Elisha correspond in numerous ways to the specific curses that the Lord had threatened to bring against Israel as punishment for covenant unfaithfulness: Drought and lack of water3 Lev 26:19; Deut 28:22-24 1 Kgs 17:2; 2 Kgs 2:19 Crop failure and lack of vegetation Lev 26:20; Deut 28:18; 29:23 1 Kgs 18:5; 2 Kgs 2:29 Famine, shortage of food, and starvation Lev 26:26; Deut 28:53-56; 1 Kgs 18:2; 2 Kgs 4:2; 6:25-27 32:34 Loss of livestock Deut 28:18 1 Kgs 18:5 Destruction of sanctuaries Lev 26:31 2 Kgs 10:27; 11:8 (destruction of sanctuaries of Baal) 2 Kgs 12:17-18 (plundering of Jerusalem temple) Military attack and siege Lev 26:25-26; Deut 28:25, 49, 1 Kgs 20:1, 12, 22, 26; 2 Kgs 6:8-9, 52-53, 55-57; 32:23-24, 41-42 14-15, 24; 12:17-19; 13:20 Exile and captivity Lev 26:33-34, 36,38, 39, 41, 2 Kgs 5:2 44; Deut 4:27; 28:36-37, 41, 63-64, 68; 30:4 Military defeat, occupation and oppression Lev 26:16, 17, 32; Deut 1 Kgs 20:42; 22:29-38; 2 Kgs 3:5, 18- from enemies, loss of territories 28:33, 43-44, 48, 68; 32:21 19; 5:1; 8:12, 20-22; 10:32-33; 13:3, 7, 22 Cannibalism as a result of siege Lev 26:45; Deut 28: 55, 57 2 Kgs 6:28-29 Provoking of God’s anger Deut 31:29; 32:16, 19 1 Kgs 16:33; 22:53; 2 Kgs 3:27 Denial of burial/corpses eaten by animals and Deut 28:23, 26 2 Kgs 9:10, 25-26, 35-37; 10:8 birds Disease, illness, and injury Lev 26:14; Deut 28:221-22; 2 Kgs 1:2; 5:27; 7:3; 8:29 27-28, 35, 59-61 Loss of family Lev 26:22; Deut 28:41, 48; 1 Kgs 21:23-24; 22:38; 8:12; 9:7-10; 32:25 10:7-10, 17 Destruction by fire Deut 28:24; 32:22 2 Kgs 1: 10, 12 Attack from wild animals that take away their Lev 26:22 2 Kgs 2:23-24 children 3This chart has followed the helpful categorical breakdowns of the covenant curses in Lev-Deut provided by Douglas Stuart, Hosea-Jonah, WBC 31 (Waco, Tex: Word, 1987), xxxii-xlii. 2 ETS, Providence: 2008 The ultimate covenant curse is death itself (cf. Deut 4:26; 28:20-22, 44, 48, 51, 61; 30:15, 18, 19), and in the Elijah-Elisha narratives, death is particularly visited upon the worshippers of Baal and the family of Ahab. At the end of the contest on Mount Carmel, Elijah and the people put the 450 prophets of Baal to death (1 Kgs 18:40). Jehu’s rise to power involves the slaughter of the worshippers of Baal and the destruction of Baal’s house (2 Kgs 10:18-29). Through this slaughter, Jehu removes Baal worship from Israel. Even in Judah, the coup that results in the execution of Ahab’s daughter, Athaliah, also involves the destruction of Baal’s house and the killing of Mattan, the priest of Baal (2 Kgs 11:1-16). One of the clear designs of the Elijah- Elisha narratives is to demonstrate that Baal is a god of death who brings death upon those who are devoted to him. Death for the House of Ahab Throughout their ministries, Elijah and Elisha are engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the house of Ahab. The kings and family of Ahab are the target of judgment because they do “evil” in the eyes of the Lord (1 Kgs 16:30-33; 21:20, 25; 22:52; 2 Kgs 3:2) and serve the Baals (cf. 1 Kgs 22:53; 2 Kgs 1:2, 3, 6, 16; 8:18, 27). The sentence of death on Ahab’s family falls upon Ahab, Amaziah, Jehoram, Jezebel, the seventy sons of Ahab in Samaria, those who left of Ahab’s family in Jezreel, and the members of David’s royal family related to Ahab (Amaziah and Athaliah). At the beginning of this life-and-death struggle, circumstances are unfavorable for the followers of Yahweh. Jezebel is successful in killing off the prophets of the Lord (1 Kgs 18:4, 13), and in her first appearance in the narrative, she bursts on the scene breathing fire and swearing that Elijah will be dead by the end of the day (1 Kgs 19:2). Elijah counters Jezebel’s oath in two specific ways. First, Yahweh commissions Elijah to anoint Hazael, Elisha, and Jehu as the human instruments who will bring about the downfall of Ahab’s family (1 Kgs 19:16-17). Second, after Ahab and Jezebel conspire to put Naboth to death, Elijah issues a death sentence from Yahweh on the house of Ahab (1 Kgs 21:21-24). The Lord will cut off every male in Ahab’s family just as he has done with the previous dynasties of Jeroboam and Baasha. Jezebel is especially singled out in this announcement of judgment. Thus, the Elijah narratives begin as a conflict between a “queen who kills prophets” and a “prophet who causes death.”4 The plot and narrative tension revolve around which edict will prevail over the other—the oath of Jezebel or the prophetic pronouncement of Elijah. The death sentence against the house of Ahab begins to work itself out in the context of Israel’s military conflict with Aram in 1 Kings 20-22. Elijah and two other prophets each pronounce a death sentence upon Ahab, and ironically, Yahweh’s messengers attribute Ahab’s death to a life that was spared and also to a life that was taken. An unnamed prophet tells Ahab (“king of 4Phyllis Trible, “Exegesis for Storytellers and Other Strangers,” JBL 114 (1995): 6. 3 ETS, Providence: 2008 Israel”) 5 that he will die because he failed to execute Ben-Hadad when the Lord had placed the Aramean king “under the ban” (1 Kgs 20:42). And then, Jezebel’s legal murder of Naboth leads to Elijah’s prophecy that the entire line of Ahab will be wiped out (1 Kgs 21:21-24). As Brueggemann has poignantly noted concerning Yahweh’s standards of justice, “The destruction of one peasant evokes total dismissal of the dynasty.”6 Ahab’s final refusal to heed the words of a prophet of Yahweh (Micaiah) leads to his death by a random arrow in battle against the Arameans. The Lord brings about Ahab’s death by sending one of the members of his heavenly council to act as a lying spirit while speaking through the false prophets in persuading the doomed king to go into battle. Ahab’s death and the dogs licking up his blood as it is washed from his chariot brings about the fulfillment of Elijah’s personal word against the king from the previous chapter. Ahab’s death sets in motion the successive demise of each member of his dynasty. Ahaziah is the next to die, and like Ahab, the death of this ruler is also attributed to the prophetic word. Elijah announces three times that Ahaziah will die from the injuries suffered in a fall at his palace because he sought an oracle of healing from Baal Zebub rather than from Yahweh (2 Kgs 1:4, 6, 16), and the king died in accordance with the prophet’s word (2 Kgs 1:17). The final execution of Elijah’s prophecy of judgment against the house of Ahab comes in 2 Kings 9-10 in the account of Jehu’s military coup and rise to power. The text highlights that Elijah’s prophecy serves as the agent of destruction for the house of Ahab even though the prophet himself is no longer present. The Lord had commissioned Elijah to anoint Jehu as Israel’s new king (1 Kgs 19:17-18), and there are recurring references to Elijah’s prophecy that God would cut off Ahab’s entire family and that dogs would devour Jezebel (2 Kgs 9:7-10, 25-26, 36-37; 10:10-11, 17).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • CECA COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES May 17, 2012 PRESENT
    CECA COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES May 17, 2012 PRESENT ABSENT Armand Antommaria Jack Gallagher Art Derse Christine Mitchell Bob Baker (Code liaison) Nneka Mokwunye Ken Berkowitz Tia Powell Jeffrey Berger Marty Smith Joseph Carrese Brian Childs Paula Goodman-Crews Ann Heesters Martha Jurchak Kayhan Parsi Kathy Powderly Terry Rosell Wayne Shelton Jeffrey Spike Anita Tarzian (chair) Lucia Wocial Pearls & Pitfalls paper The “HCEC PEARLS AND PITFALLS”: Suggested Do’s And Don’ts for Health Care Ethics Consultants” manuscript has been accepted by JCE. JCE will retain the copyright for the full article, but the Pearls & Pitfalls themselves can be posted on ASBH website and used by others (with appropriate citation). Timing of the publication has not yet been established. Joe mentioned the statement in the current manuscript that readers can provide feedback about the paper on the ASBH website. Kayhan mentioned that ASBH’s website is currently undergoing revision, and will check with Chris Welber at AMC regarding the ability to have visitors post feedback on a specific location of the website. The manuscript will be modified accordingly before publication to match website capacity. Update from Board The Board is asking that CECA submit the Request for Proposals that was previously put on hold pending the Quality Attestation efforts underway. The Board has decided to pursue both activities in parallel. Anita will circulate the current RFP draft to CECA members to identify a process for completing this and submitting to the Board. The Board is developing operating standards for ASBH standing committees, which will impact CECA’s recent discussion about term limits and member rotation.
    [Show full text]
  • 100M Development a Oat at North Harbor Development
    THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020 Desmarais in familiar role: Peabody Light Plant as acting police chief powers down rates By Gayla Cawley the department for 34 years, including By Anne Marie Tobin Robert O. Wheatley. “The PP&FCA is ITEM STAFF the past three and a half as its chief. ITEM STAFF adjusted based on PMLP’s cost to pur- Desmarais has served as acting chief chase power, which we get from a vari- LYNN — Mayor Thomas M. McGee during a previous vacancy, which was PEABODY — For the second time in ety of different sources, as well as other plans to appoint Deputy Chief Leonard lled when Mageary was appointed 2020, customers of the Peabody Munic- factors. Having a diversi ed portfolio Desmarais as acting chief of the Lynn chief by former Mayor Judith Flanagan ipal Light Plant (PMLP) are getting a helps to keep costs to our customers sta- Police Department. Kennedy. rate cut. ble over time and as low as possible. The Desmarais, a 32-year veteran of the Deputy Chief Edward Blake also an- PMLP recently announced that new decreases in costs that we are realizing department, will assume his new role nounced his retirement earlier this year Purchase Power & Fuel Cost Adjust- today are in part based on investments after the retirement of Chief Michael after 34 years of service with the depart- ment (PP&FCA) rates went into effect made by the Peabody Municipal Light- Mageary becomes effective this Satur- ment, effective July 31. Blake joined the this month and will remain in place ing Commission over time.” day, according to an announcement from force in 1986 and worked in the patrol through the month of September.
    [Show full text]
  • The Song Elite's Obsession with Death, the Underworld, and Salvation
    BIBLID 0254-4466(2002)20:1 pp. 399-440 漢學研究第 20 卷第 1 期（民國 91 年 6 月） Visualizing the Afterlife: The Song Elite’s Obsession with Death, the Underworld, and Salvation Hsien-huei Liao＊ Abstract This study explores the Song elite’s obsession with the afterlife and its impact on their daily lives. Through examining the ways they perceived the relations between the living and the dead, the fate of their own afterlives, and the functional roles of religious specialists, this study demonstrates that the prevailing ideas about death and the afterlife infiltrated the minds of many of the educated, deeply affecting their daily practices. While affected by contem- porary belief in the underworld and the power of the dead, the Song elite also played an important role in the formation and proliferation of those ideas through their piety and practices. Still, implicit divergences of perceptions and practices between the elite and the populace remained abiding features under- neath their universally shared beliefs. To explore the Song elite’s interactions with popular belief in the underworld, several questions are discussed, such as how and why the folk belief in the afterlife were accepted and incorporated into the elite’s own practices, and how their practices corresponded to, dif- fered from, or reinforced folk beliefs. An examination of the social, cultural, * Hsien-huei Liao is a research associate in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University, U.S.A. 399 400 漢學研究第20卷第1期 and political impact on their conceptualization of the afterlife within the broad historical context of the Song is key to understand their beliefs and practices concerning the underworld.
    [Show full text]
  • Moses Hayim Luzzatto's Quest for Providence
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 10-2014 'Like Iron to a Magnet': Moses Hayim Luzzatto's Quest for Providence David Sclar Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/380 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] “Like Iron to a Magnet”: Moses Hayim Luzzatto’s Quest for Providence By David Sclar A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The City University of New York 2014 © 2014 David Sclar All Rights Reserved This Manuscript has been read and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the Dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Prof. Jane S. Gerber _______________ ____________________________________ Date Chair of the Examining Committee Prof. Helena Rosenblatt _______________ ____________________________________ Date Executive Officer Prof. Francesca Bregoli _______________________________________ Prof. Elisheva Carlebach ________________________________________ Prof. Robert Seltzer ________________________________________ Prof. David Sorkin ________________________________________ Supervisory Committee iii Abstract “Like Iron to a Magnet”: Moses Hayim Luzzatto’s Quest for Providence by David Sclar Advisor: Prof. Jane S. Gerber This dissertation is a biographical study of Moses Hayim Luzzatto (1707–1746 or 1747). It presents the social and religious context in which Luzzatto was variously celebrated as the leader of a kabbalistic-messianic confraternity in Padua, condemned as a deviant threat by rabbis in Venice and central and eastern Europe, and accepted by the Portuguese Jewish community after relocating to Amsterdam.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fall of Satan in the Thought of St. Ephrem and John Milton
    Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies, Vol. 3.1, 3–27 © 2000 [2010] by Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute and Gorgias Press THE FALL OF SATAN IN THE THOUGHT OF ST. EPHREM AND JOHN MILTON GARY A. ANDERSON HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL CAMBRIDGE, MA USA ABSTRACT In the Life of Adam and Eve, Satan “the first-born” refused to venerate Adam, the “latter-born.” Later writers had difficulty with the tale because it granted Adam honors that were proper to Christ (Philippians 2:10, “at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend.”) The tale of Satan’s fall was then altered to reflect this Christological sensibility. Milton created a story of Christ’s elevation prior to the creation of man. Ephrem, on the other hand, moved the story to Holy Saturday. In Hades, Death acknowledged Christ as the true first- born whereas Satan rejected any such acclamation. [1] For some time I have pondered the problem of Satan’s fall in early Jewish and Christian sources. My point of origin has been the justly famous account found in the Life of Adam and Eve (hereafter: Life).1 1 See G. Anderson, “The Exaltation of Adam and the Fall of Satan,” Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy, 6 (1997): 105–34. 3 4 Gary A. Anderson I say justly famous because the Life itself existed in six versions- Greek, Latin, Armenian, Georgian, Slavonic, and Coptic (now extant only in fragments)-yet the tradition that the Life drew on is present in numerous other documents from Late Antiquity.2 And one should mention its surprising prominence in Islam-the story was told and retold some seven times in the Koran and was subsequently subject to further elaboration among Muslim exegetes and storytellers.3 My purpose in this essay is to carry forward work I have already done on this text to the figures of St.
    [Show full text]
  • LAW of CHRIST - NEW COVENANT by Donna Dorsey Wulfemeyer Updated 2020
    LAW OF CHRIST - NEW COVENANT By Donna Dorsey Wulfemeyer Updated 2020 The Law of Christ states that we can’t be good enough or righteous enough to enter heaven by following the Law and The Prophets. It says we need to believe in Jesus as our Messiah (savior). His death for us is what makes us righteous in God’s sight. For our salvation, which can never be earned, God simply asks us to love him, love others (both believers and non-believers) and believe in God’s son. The NT contains hundreds of commands. All of them come under the general heading of love. Everything He commands is an expression of love. This I believe is the Law of Christ and this fulfills all that was said in the Law and the prophets without the need to look at a check list of demands. Jesus asked believers to love each other in order to show the world we are his followers because in doing so we follow his example for living. Receiving our righteousness from God thru Jesus, not the law, explains the Law of Christ which is the New Covenant. Prior to Christ the law was a list of do’s and don’ts that were created to help people live peaceably with God and others. However people were unable to keep the commandments so the blood of animals was shed on our behalf. After Jesus was the final sacrifice, the Law of Christ took effect; by belief in Christ all our sins are covered/removed and we are made righteous in God sight.
    [Show full text]
  • Kings of Judah Kings of Israel Prophets Of
    KINGDOM TORN IN TWO Week 18: Divided Kingdom & God’s Messengers (1) (1 Kings 12 – 2 Kings 8) When Solomon died, his throne was passed to Week Eighteen Reading Plan his son Rehoboam. The 1 Kings 11:1-13, 26-43 The Kingdom Divided into Israel (North) and Judah (South) people then approached 1 Kings 12:1-33 First King of the South and of the North him saying they needed relief from the high taxes 1 Kings 15:1-16:28 Some of the Kings of Israel and Judah his father had imposed 1 Kings 16:29-17:24 King Ahab and the Prophet Elijah during his reign. He told 1 Kings 18:1-19:21 Elijah and the Prophets of Baal them to come back in 2 Kings 2:1-25 Elisha Follows in Elijah’s Footsteps three days. So the people 2 Kings 4:1-5:27 Some Miracles of Elisha gave him time to think. First Rehoboam went to his father’s sage advisors. They told him to listen to the people. “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.” Rehoboam then went to his young inexperienced friends...and asks for their advice. Without much thought to the repercussions, they advise Rehoboam “Tell these people, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” When the people came back three days later that’s what he told them—he listened to advice from ‘fools.’ As a result he lost nearly everything he’d inherited from his father.
    [Show full text]
  • Torah: Covenant and Constitution
    Judaism Torah: Covenant and Constitution Torah: Covenant and Constitution Summary: The Torah, the central Jewish scripture, provides Judaism with its history, theology, and a framework for ethics and practice. Torah technically refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). However, it colloquially refers to all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, also called the Tanakh. Torah is the one Hebrew word that may provide the best lens into the Jewish tradition. Meaning literally “instruction” or “guidebook,” the Torah is the central text of Judaism. It refers specifically to the first five books of the Bible called the Pentateuch, traditionally thought to be penned by the early Hebrew prophet Moses. More generally, however, torah (no capitalization) is often used to refer to all of Jewish sacred literature, learning, and law. It is the Jewish way. According to the Jewish rabbinic tradition, the Torah is God’s blueprint for the creation of the universe. As such, all knowledge and wisdom is contained within it. One need only “turn it and turn it,” as the rabbis say in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 5:25, to reveal its unending truth. Another classical rabbinic image of the Torah, taken from the Book of Proverbs 3:18, is that of a nourishing “tree of life,” a support and a salve to those who hold fast to it. Others speak of Torah as the expression of the covenant (brit) given by God to the Jewish people. Practically, Torah is the constitution of the Jewish people, the historical record of origins and the basic legal document passed down from the ancient Israelites to the present day.
    [Show full text]
  • Old Testament Order of Prophets
    Old Testament Order Of Prophets Dislikable Simone still warbling: numbing and hilar Sansone depopulating quite week but immerse her alwaysthrust deliberatively. dippiest and sugar-caneHiro weep landward when discovers if ingrained some Saunder Neanderthaloid unravelling very or oftener finalizing. and Is sillily? Martino And trapped inside, is the center of prophets and the terms of angels actually did not store any time in making them The prophets also commanded the neighboring nations to live in peace with Israel and Judah. The people are very easygoing and weak in the practice of their faith. They have said it places around easter time to threaten judgment oracles tend to take us we live in chronological positions in a great fish. The prophet describes a series of calamities which will precede it; these include the locust plague. Theologically it portrays a cell in intimate relationship with the natural caution that. The band Testament books of the prophets do not appear white the Bible in chronological order instead and are featured in issue of size Prophets such as Isaiah. Brief sight Of Roman History from Her Dawn if the First Punic War. He embodies the word of God. Twelve minor prophets of coming of elijah the volume on those big messages had formerly promised hope and enter and god leads those that, search the testament prophets? Habakkuk: Habakkuk covered a lot of ground in such a short book. You can get answers to your questions about the Faith by listening to our Podcasts like Catholic Answers Live or The Counsel of Trent. Forschungen zum Alten Testament.
    [Show full text]
  • Doctor Strange Comics As Post-Fantasy
    Evolving a Genre: Doctor Strange Comics as Post-Fantasy Jessie L. Rogers Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English Karen Swenson, Chair Nancy A. Metz Katrina M. Powell April 15, 2019 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: Fantasy, Comics Studies, Postmodernism, Post-Fantasy Copyright 2019, Jessie L. Rogers Evolving a Genre: Doctor Strange Comics as Post-Fantasy Jessie L. Rogers (ABSTRACT) This thesis demonstrates that Doctor Strange comics incorporate established tropes of the fantastic canon while also incorporating postmodern techniques that modernize the genre. Strange’s debut series, Strange Tales, begins this development of stylistic changes, but it still relies heavily on standard uses of the fantastic. The 2015 series, Doctor Strange, builds on the evolution of the fantastic apparent in its predecessor while evidencing an even stronger presence of the postmodern. Such use of postmodern strategies disrupts the suspension of disbelief on which popular fantasy often relies. To show this disruption and its effects, this thesis examines Strange Tales and Doctor Strange (2015) as they relate to the fantastic cornerstones of Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It begins by defining the genre of fantasy and the tenets of postmodernism, then it combines these definitions to explain the new genre of postmodern fantasy, or post-fantasy, which Doctor Strange comics develop. To show how these comics evolve the fantasy genre through applications of postmodernism, this thesis examines their use of otherworldliness and supernaturalism, as well as their characterization and narrative strategies, examining how these facets subvert our expectations of fantasy texts.
    [Show full text]
  • HEPTADIC VERBAL PATTERNS in the SOLOMON NARRATIVE of 1 KINGS 1–11 John A
    HEPTADIC VERBAL PATTERNS IN THE SOLOMON NARRATIVE OF 1 KINGS 1–11 John A. Davies Summary The narrative in 1 Kings 1–11 makes use of the literary device of sevenfold lists of items and sevenfold recurrences of Hebrew words and phrases. These heptadic patterns may contribute to the cohesion and sense of completeness of both the constituent pericopes and the narrative as a whole, enhancing the readerly experience. They may also serve to reinforce the creational symbolism of the Solomon narrative and in particular that of the description of the temple and its dedication. 1. Introduction One of the features of Hebrew narrative that deserves closer attention is the use (consciously or subconsciously) of numeric patterning at various levels. In narratives, there is, for example, frequently a threefold sequence, the so-called ‘Rule of Three’1 (Samuel’s three divine calls: 1 Samuel 3:8; three pourings of water into Elijah’s altar trench: 1 Kings 18:34; three successive companies of troops sent to Elijah: 2 Kings 1:13), or tens (ten divine speech acts in Genesis 1; ten generations from Adam to Noah, and from Noah to Abram; ten toledot [‘family accounts’] in Genesis). One of the numbers long recognised as holding a particular fascination for the biblical writers (and in this they were not alone in the ancient world) is the number seven. Seven 1 Vladimir Propp, Morphology of the Folktale (rev. edn; Austin: University of Texas Press, 1968; tr. from Russian, 1928): 74; Christopher Booker, The Seven Basic Plots of Literature: Why We Tell Stories (London: Continuum, 2004): 229-35; Richard D.
    [Show full text]
  • Continuity in Color: the Persistence of Symbolic Meaning in Myths, Tales, and Tropes
    Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern University Honors Program Theses 2016 Continuity in Color: The eP rsistence of Symbolic Meaning in Myths, Tales, and Tropes McKinley May Georgia Southern University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses Part of the Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons Recommended Citation May, McKinley, "Continuity in Color: The eP rsistence of Symbolic Meaning in Myths, Tales, and Tropes" (2016). University Honors Program Theses. 170. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses/170 This thesis (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in University Honors Program Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Continuity in Color: The Persistence of Symbolic Meaning in Myths, Tales, and Tropes An Honors Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Honors in the Department of Literature and Philosophy. By McKinley May Under the mentorship of Joe Pellegrino ABSTRACT This paper examines the symbolism of the colors black, white, and red from ancient times to modern. It explores ancient myths, the Grimm canon of fairy tales, and modern film and television tropes in order to establish the continuity of certain symbolisms through time. In regards to the fairy tales, the examination focuses solely on the lesser-known stories, due to the large amounts of scholarship surrounding the “popular” tales. The continuity of interpretation of these three major colors (black, white, and red) establishes the link between the past and the present and demonstrates the influence of older myths and beliefs on modern understandings of the colors.
    [Show full text]